Trans Athlete Earns, and Shares, First Place in Track Event

U.S.|Trans Athlete in Political Storm Earns, and Shares, First Place in Event

The California athlete at the center of a searing political debate over trans girls’ competing in girls’ sports went home a winner on Saturday in what is arguably the most competitive state track and field meet in the nation.

AB Hernandez, a junior from Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside County, shared first place in the high jump and triple jump, and also shared second in the long jump. Her spot on the awards podium was a sign of how complicated her participation in the competition had become.

With President Trump threatening to cut federal funding to the state if the trans girl competed, the event organizer changed the rules just days before the event in hopes of allaying concerns about the fairness of allowing Ms. Hernandez to compete. The athlete who finished behind Ms. Hernandez would be elevated to share her placement.

The first awards came after the long jump, and that moment of recognition did not turn out to be awkward or contentious, as some people had feared.

The two girls — Ms. Hernandez and Brooke White of River City High School — joked around like any teenage girls would, giving each other an enthusiastic double-handed high-five before they squeezed onto one step of the podium together. Then after both received medals, they put their arms around each other, held their medals out from their chests and smiled for photos.

Ms. Hernandez and the event’s winner — Loren Webster of Wilson High School — both had leaped more than a foot farther than anyone else in the event. For Ms. Webster, it was a back-to-back state title in the event before she heads off to compete at the University of Oregon.